Scouting Report: FSU men look to carry momentum into Clemson showdown

Head coach Leonard Hamilton and the Florida State men’s basketball team will be back in action this afternoon, playing in a big ACC matchup against the Clemson Tigers, coached by Brad Brownell. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum (ESPNU).

Florida State is 11-4 overall and 2-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Clemson is 12-4 and 4-1.

While this will be Florida State’s second consecutive road game, the Seminoles are coming off of one of their most complete games of the season as they handled the Miami Hurricanes in Coral Gables, 80-65, this past Wednesday. Clemson enters this game on the heels of its first loss of the new year, falling to the red-hot Louisville Cardinals.

For FSU, this game will be its third opportunity to secure a win against a Quad 2 opponent as the Tigers sit at No. 40 in the NET rankings. If the Seminoles were successful, it would be their first win against a Quad 1 or 2 opponent this season. For Clemson, a win will keep its record against Quad 3 opponents unscathed, as the Tigers are 5-0 against this range of teams.

Tackling the Tigers

Brownell is entering his 15th season with the Tigers. Over his tenure, Clemson has made 11 postseason appearances.

Brownell utilizes a motion offense against man-to-man sets and likes for his players to attack the gaps in zone defenses. Since Florida State plays man-to-man on pretty much every defensive possession, we’ll focus on Clemson’s motion offense.

One of the Tigers’ primary goals of that offensive attack is to constantly move the ball, trying to force opposing defenses to get out of position, allowing for open shots on the perimeter or open lanes to drive to the basket.

Tigers are Cooking in LJC 😉👨‍🍳

📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/Vea29wiI6Z

— Clemson Basketball (@ClemsonMBB) January 5, 2025

This offensive attack challenges everything the Seminoles do defensively. Because FSU will switch 1 through 5 on every ball screen, the Tigers will force them to communicate frequently and efficiently to counter this free-flowing offense.

When opponents continually switch while defending Clemson’s motion, they end up having to chase through screens and rubs, leading to a lot of foul calls. And the Tigers are excellent at converting their free-throw attempts, making good on 80 percent from the line (12th nationally).

Defensively, the Tigers are very strong, as Brownell has made that a calling card of his program. In an interview with the ACC Network, Brownell said he tells his players, “We aren’t asking you to score a bunch of points, but we are asking you to play defense and rebound.”

The Tigers use what their coach calls the “post-buddy system” on defense. On a ball reversal at the top of the key, Clemson pushes one of its players in the post higher up on the court to serve as a formidable help to a driving opposing player. The Tigers have executed very well on this side of the ball all season, ranking 44th nationally in defensive efficiency.

FSU’s Foundation

The Seminoles have found their identity fairly early in the season and have been excellent at playing to their strengths. The basketball analytics web site Haslametrics has FSU’s consistency rating at No. 42 in the country.

FSU will work inside-out on the offensive end of the court. Coming off another game in which the ‘Noles scored 30-plus points in the paint, the Seminoles should continue to pound the rock inside.

Capitalizing on that approach, center Malique Ewin now has a double-digit scoring streak of 12 games, and his continued improvement throughout the season cannot be overstated. Senior guard Jamir Watkins has also found a lot of success driving to the hoop and is now averaging the third-most points per game in the ACC (18.7).

A very encouraging trend for Florida State has been its improved outside shooting. After struggling from deep earlier this season, the ‘Noles are now averaging 38.5 percent from long range in their last four games. Sophomore Taylor Bol Bowen was particularly hot in the Miami win, hitting 4 of 4 shots from outside the arc.

At the other end of the court, the Seminoles have been very aggressive and opportunistic. They rank first in the ACC for steals (9.07 a game) and blocked shots (5.33), and they rank third in the ACC for turnover margin.

The biggest need the ‘Noles will likely have in this game is a third primary scorer. Watkins and Ewin have been the consistent top options on the offensive side of the ball, but FSU has played its best when a third player is contributing offensively. Last game, it was Bol Bowen, but Daquan Davis, Jerry Deng and Justin Thomas have all had flashes of ability in prior games.

Keys to Success

As has been the case in many Florida State games this season, whoever controls the tempo will likely come out on top. The ‘Noles have shown time and time again that they thrive playing fast and in the open court. Clemson, however, emphasizes a half-court offensive attack, playing with the 302nd-fastest pace in the country.

In all four of the Tigers’ losses, the team that won had a faster-rated pace. Looks for FSU to capitalize on this and try to convert fast-break opportunities. Also keep an eye on the offensive rebounding, as Clemson has excelled in this area. That allows the Tigers to extend possessions and get plenty of second-chance points.

Players to Watch

Florida State

F — #1 Jamir Watkins (18.7 ppg and 4.5 rpg; 15 pts and 4 rebs against Clemson, January 20, 2024)
C — #12 Malique Ewin (13.7 ppg and 7.5 rpg; First career game against Clemson)

Clemson

F — #4 Ian Schieffelin (13.3 ppg, 10.8 rpg; 7 pts and 6 rebs against Florida State, January 20, 2024)
G — #1 Chase Hunter (17.2 ppg, 2.5 apg; 14 pts and 2 asts against Florida State, January 20, 2024)

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